Russia to announce a verdict in Navalny’s case; Kremlin critic expects lengthy prison term

MOSCOW (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is due to hear the verdict in his latest trial on extremism charges. The prosecution has demanded a 20-year prison sentence, and the politician himself said he expects a lengthy prison term. Navalny is already serving a nine-year sentence for fraud and contempt of court in a penal colony east of Moscow. In 2021, he was also sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for a parole violation. If the court finds Navalny guilty, it will be his fifth criminal conviction, all of which have been widely seen as a deliberate strategy by the Kremlin to silence its most ardent opponent.